An Ordinary Citizen
by IreneBoleyn
Summary: What if control of Gotham's fate had been given to a civilian? What if this civilian was a seventeen year old girl with no clue and a very high sense of right and wrong? My first fan fiction story. Reviews and criticism most welcome.
1. Chapter 1

My heart beat seemed to drown out the gunfire and His harsh words. _Thump thump. Thump thump._ _"Gotham, take back your city..." Thump thump. "...detonator held by an ordinary citizen..." Thump thump._ It was as though a wave of expected silence had come over the ocean of civilian that was the crowd. All were frozen in fear and confusion, and I was no exception. My body might have cut diamond it was so stiff, and the basic function of taking in oxygen was put on hold by my perpetual shaking. A burly looking man with some sort of machine gun pointed his exotic looking instrument at my head. _Note to sel__f, never take an edge seat at a public event in Gotham City. _In primary instinct, I threw my body and arms around my little brother to shield him. He was shaking too, and unnervingly silent. (As if my arms would do any good if they wanted to hurt him). The man grabbed my arm "Hey don't try anything stupid." My voice was a squeak as I shook my head. "I'm not I-". He kicked my shin. "Hey no talking!" I let out a whimper and nodded vigorously. But the urge to vomit was becoming uncontrollable as I watched in disbelief the football players being devoured by the playing field. _Oh my God this is it._ _We are all going to die_. I covered Kayden's eyes.

I felt a harsh hand on my shoulder and whipped my head around to meet a cold pair of cobalt eyes. "Shhh.." The tall man put a finger to his lips before placing something small on my lap. _Looks like a remote__...__ like a blinking__…__oh no. Not to me not real not real. _"Put it in your pocket." I stared up at him in disbelief and terror. He must have found the expression humorous because he smirked a little crude smile. "Just do it." _No._ He bent down. "Want all these people to die?" _Okay. _Reluctantly, I put it in my jacket pocket. "What is that? What are they doing?" Kayden looked at me with a worried expression. I motioned for him to be quiet. "It's okay."

Then the gunmen began to clear out and panic found the crowd again as everyone was hit by the realization of what had happened. The thin man grabbed my arm. "Don't try to get rid of it. We will know." He paused as if contemplating. "_Eden_." A wink and he disappeared into the crowd. I didn't move. I sat for what seemed an hour in disbelief. He knows my name. Kayden's small fingers _digging_ into my hand broke me out of my trance. "We have to go, Eden." I don't know how, but eventually we made it out of the stadium as if nothing happened. "Eden you're hurting my arm!" I hadn't realized the death grip I held on my little brother's forearm. Mom and Dad were waiting in the parking lot frantically looking around. When they spotted us, I thought for sure my mom would start crying. They sprinted over and caught us both in a death grip hug of relief. "Oh thank God! You're okay. Are you hurt? What happened? Is anyone hurt?" Words poured out of Mom's mouth like a worried spew of water. Ever logical Dad piped up. "Honey their fine. Let's get everyone home before something else happens." Mom nodded and hurried us to the car.

I had never been that close to my parents. And I had always felt sort of detached, like I didn't belong, but it didn't change the bond our little family shared, and I always felt cared for and loved. Dad, like half the men in the city, had a great job working for Bruce Wayne. Therefore, Mom never had a need to hold a job. Dad could have supported five more people with his salary if he wanted. So Mom spent the majority of her days volunteering at the hospital, planning our meals, looking beautiful, and managing donations to local charities. "_A real trophy wife_." That's what Dad's coworkers would always say. My brother and I never had a need that wasn't met. It was good of course, but in a way, it made me feel rather helpless. I had never really _gone through_ anything. And it made me feel weak.

I was silent all the way home. Too lost in thought to speak about what had happened. _Maybe it didn't happen at all. I imagined it. I was in a state of panic and I thought something happened but nothing did._ My hand reached into my pocket. _It's still there_._ What do they want me to do? They won__'__t just leave me alone now, will they? No. But maybe it was just the fear factor. Maybe everyone on an edge seat was handed a remote. To make us afraid..._ "Eden?" My head jerked away from my hands. It was mom. "Eden, are you okay, sweetie?"_No. __I'm__ not, a terrorist put a detonator in my pocket. _"I'm fine, mom."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Batman or DC comics related. I do not have rights to any of these characters, nor do I make profits from this writing.**

**So far I've only gotten two reviews and one of them wasn't praise, I'm sorry if I offended you, HisHarley20. I'm just trying to express myself like everyone else.**

**Also thank you very much second Guest! I'm glad you like it and just for you, I will try to add a Bane interaction to this chapter!**

**This chapter is called. "Alone"**

The day that followed the incident, was eerily silent. The news was perpetually on the TV and eventually became just background noise. Nobody in our house really spoke to me about everything that had happened. Mom and dad just kind of paced the dining room and talked with each other. After hours of attempting to join the conversation and many "Nothing you need to worry about" and "Just were just discussing your brother's schooling." statements, I decided to retire to my bedroom and try to take my mind out of Gotham for a while. I plopped onto the bed with my favorite book and delved into a state of not caring. As the harsh light of day waned into the soft glow of evening, I felt myself begin to dose off.

_Mom reads to me. "She comes in the snow, the child. Dark hair, rose skin. She spins in circles and powders the ground with her red rose petals. And the larks sing, 'Oh sweet maiden! Make the winter turn to spring!'" I pinch a strand of Mom's blonde hair. "She doesn't have hair like you mommy, she has my hair." Mom kisses my brown pony tail. "That must make you special." We both giggle but Mom starts to cry… what's wrong, mommy?_

I awoke with a start. The clock read nine thirty pm. I had slept for five hours straight and nobody had come to wake me up. It didn't surprise me however, as strange as my parents had been acting since the football field incident. I thought nothing of it and not knowing why, I turned up the T.V. It was still the news channel. _"Masked man creates disaster at Gotham Stadium. Massive amount of casual__ties and irreparable damage to the c__ity__'s __architecture__."_It frustrated me a little, how they called the deaths "casualties" and yet, the superficial damage to the city's architecture was "irreparable." What is the value of a human life then? It made me think more on the man who threatened me and forced me to take the remote. _Would he really have killed me?_ I turned off the television and walked downstairs. It was time to tell Mom or Dad or somebody. The feeling that I was the only one who knew ate away at my nerves.

"Mom?" I called out to the dark. It really was unusually dark and quiet. Nobody went to bed this early at our house. "Dad? Hey I have to talk to you guys about something!" No answer. "Hello?" I walked into the kitchen. As I came around the corner, I saw someone's shadow. "Dad, I need to tell you something." The shadow gave way to a man at once.

I don't think I've ever screamed so loud in my life. I must have used all of my voice up on that scream because there was none left when I opened my mouth a second time. Not Dad. That's definitely not Dad. That's not Dad and I'm going to die. The man, the creature that stood before me was a terrifying mountain of an archaic giant. He stood straight, shoulders broad and face brooding and lined with apathy. The jacket and military boots he wore seemed separate entities from his beast like bodies. He was far too animalistic for them. And the mask that covered his mouth seemed a menacing, steel spider. "What did you need to speak to me about, child?" Certainly the purpose for his mask was to instill fear. It made him sound like an unearthly monster, eloquent, yet rough and horrible. Overpowering, that was an understatement. Instantly I felt gravity pulling me to my knees. "I- uh- ahh." I was now hyperventilating in my panic. _Run. Run. Move._ I darted for the staircase, shocked at how my legs were even capable of movement. Getting away was my sole thought. I felt a powerful grip on my ankle before I lost footing (or footing was stolen) and my chin slammed against the wood on the stairs. I let out a blood curdling scream. Then his voice again, "Adrenaline. Very necessary for survival. But mere instinct has failed you. So what will take over now, _Eden_? Fight? Or flight?" The pounding in my head bore down on my senses and vision turned black.

**Thanks for the reviews! I'll try to write more when I get a chance! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Batman or DC comics related. I do not have rights to any of these characters, nor do I make profits from this writing.**

**Thank you to all of my reviewers! Thank you: "screamingoutalovesong" and **

"**Decepticon-silverstreak" and my two supportive "Guests"!**

**Hope you enjoy the next chapter!**

**It is called "Buckle Up"**

_Singing. And singing and singing. "There is a house in New Orleans. They call it the rising sun, and its been the ruin of many poor girl and me Oh God for one…" Mom rocked me in her arms. "Mommy, I want a happy song, not that one. "She pulls the blanket __from my shoulders. "It's time to wake up, sweetie" _

I opened my eyes slowly. The past events came back in dark haze. _Oh no. Where am I?_ My surroundings were unrecognizable. The only sound was the hollow echo of dripping water. I sat up, slowly inching up onto my elbows, then my knees, my feet. I stood there shakily for what seemed an hour before deciding to move. It was a small room. There was a metal chair in the corner, blankets on the floor where I had been lying, and a sink. _Hence the dripping_. The ground was freezing cold, and I only had on a thin pair of ballet flats. I couldn't stop my body from shivering in panic and chill. After ages of counting cracks in the walls and imagining horrific ways I might die, the door creaked open. I quickly wrapped myself in the blanket and attempted to feign sleep. I heard heavy footsteps, then softer ones. "She's awake." It was the masked man's voice. A soft female voice followed. "Awake, and very frightened it seems." The voices moved closer. "Did you hurt her, my friend?" I felt a cool hand touch my arm.

"No, in an attempt to flee, she had a collision with the stairs." A pause. "Only a punctured chin, and a bitten tongue." _Dammit_. My hand shot up to my chin where I felt a rough bandage. "She moves." My eyes looked to the masked man and I was taken back for a second. I was still very terrified of him, which seemed completely reasonable as he was a mass murderer who kidnapped me from my own living room and probably did something horrible to my family. _My family. Kayde__n_! "Please, wh- where is m- my family?" I was so enamored with the masked man that I hadn't realized the woman crouched next to me. "They are safe." Her voice was a smooth bell with a slight foreign accent. I turned my head and took all of her in. A brown mane of shining curls, a soft chin and sensuous mouth, strong jaw, and large sea blue eyes that could melt dry ice with their sincerity. _Miranda Tate_. I was lost for words. This woman was all over the news constantly. She was a part of Bruce Wayne's energy project. My dad talked about her at the dinner table. She was a good guy. _Or at least, so we thought_. She smiled at my obvious disbelief.

"Eden, all you must know is that there are some things one cannot understand simply from watching the news." My mouth gaped open. But I had no words. "You, were given a device, if I'm correct. A device capable of destroying the entire city. It is a very dangerous item. You should be more careful with such gifts." Her voice was laced with false concern. "Fortunately, we were able to find you before something persuaded you to _dispose of it_." I stumbled on my words. "I don't want it, please, don't- I was just-" She shushed me with her hand. "I know. I will gladly take it off your hands. But unfortunately, you know too much now, and so we have to take in consideration the fact that your father does work for Bruce Wayne…" I shook my head. "I won't tell anyone- I promise-" She closed her eyes as if deep in thought. "What makes you think that I would place trust in you so easily? Remember that nobody can be trusted. You should know this now. I am perfectly capable of snapping your neck right at this moment, yet you trust that I will not. Even though I have obviously betrayed trust before. Bruce Wayne, for instance, does not yet realize just how far I've gone to deceive him." "How in two days, his city will be ashes because of me." I felt the tears coming again. _No. No._ Miranda raised her hand to brush hair from my face. "Do not fear, my child. You are about to be a part of one of the _most purposeful cleansings the modern world has ever known_." I looked at her questioningly. "You think this has no purpose?" She placed her hand on my pant pocket and I realized the detonator was now there. "We are ridding the world of this evil, evil city. We are restoring balance and equality through example and a slight number of casualties." She paused. "Your beautiful country would not last long were it not for this plan. And even then it would just be a matter of time. Can you not see the way your people are despised? Envied? Other places look at you and wonder how you live in swan down and not mud. And it makes them rethink your usefulness. We are _saving_ you." She smiled. "Bane, my friend, it is time for us to release the prisoners." The large man nodded and walked from the room. _The prisoners? _The woman held out a hand to me as I stared at her in contempt, fear and curiosity. I stood up, but refused to touch her. She nodded in understanding and pushed me firmly to the door. We emerged from the room and into what seemed to be a garage. A large truck was awaiting. Miranda threw a coat at me and motioned to the door. Before I hesitantly climbed in, she whispered into my ear. "You shall come with us. You shall witness this greatness, and you shall not speak or try anything that may put your small, sweet family at risk. Unless you had other ideas?" I shook my head and climbed in. Miranda nodded to Bane who soon followed in suit and climbed in after me. Then she turned on her heal and left. The enormous man nodded at a driver in the front seat and looked at me curiously. "Safety first, little one, buckle your seatbelt."

**Thanks for**** the reviews! I'll try to write more when I get a chance! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Batman or DC comics related. I do not have rights to any of these characters, nor do I make profits from this writing.**

**Thank you to all of my reviewers! Thank you: "screamingoutalovesong" and **

"**Decepticon-silverstreak", "shygirl", my lovely **"**Rogue133" and my two supportive "Guests"!**

**Enjoy the next chapter! Sorry for the delay. School is busy, as is work.**

**It is called "Blackgate's Purge"**

It was almost a relief when the sound of shouting crowds and gunfire broke the uncomfortable silence that had settled upon the vehicle. Bane said no more for the remainder of our trip to wherever we were headed. He simply stared at me, and the few short times I dared to look back, I saw an utter void of emotion, only what I guessed was curiosity. He looked at me like a scientist would study an insect. And that's what I was. And he was the ominous shoe that might crush me at any undeserving moment. All the while I sat in silence too, trying to play things out in my mind as calmly as possible. _She said, "__Free__ the prisoners". Are we going to a prison? Is someone important there? What prisons are there in the city? Arkham, Blackgate… Is Arkham in the city?_ It seemed like it had been at least twenty minutes before the droning of the truck's engine stopped and I was dragged out of my seat and onto a street. _Okay. First rule of surviving a kidnapping, right? Take in your surroundings. Seems logical, even though my kidnapper is Gotham's most wanted criminal, he's got the area surrounded by gunmen, and we are in the middle of public already. Don't think he's too worried about being caught kidnapping. Still. Surroundings. Intersection there. People. Lot of people. Man with a gun there. And there. Up there. _I felt myself being pushed into the commotion and Banes voice. "Remember, Eden, although I'm certain it usually works in your favor, don't be clever. Stay silent in the crowd and don't move. If you upset the plan in any way at all, I can promise you an abundance of pain shall come upon your mother." My stomach dropped when I followed his eyes to a balcony where a man held a blonde woman at gun point. _Mom_. My eyes widened and my hands started to shake. But when I turned to protest, Bane had gone. I saw him at a distance now, making his way through the crowd and to the large stately building in front of us. _Wait a second. Blackgate. No. Release the prisoners. Of course._ I swiftly turned my head in all directions, looking for anybody I recognized. Miranda was nowhere in sight. I couldn't hear myself think. There was too much commotion. Then over my thoughts, Banes voice rang out. He spoke in a thunderous yet controlled volume. All eyes were transfixed on his face. Most of the crowd even ignored the men with guns who were standing behind him. _Wish I could hold that kind of attention in debate class_. They had no idea. These people were all going to die. And I couldn't do a thing. _Can I?_ I felt my pulse skyrocket and I broke into a sweat as I turned frantically looking for a way out. _Have to tell someone_. Just then I felt a hand on my back. I swung around to see one of my old classmates. "Whoa! Eden! Calm down already. I know the guys scary, I'm scared too," _You have no idea_. He turned his attention back to Bane who was now speaking about Commissioner Gordon. And my acquaintances words seemed to fade as I listened more to the masked giant. "But everything will be fine, Eden he's just a terrorist. The authorities won't stand…" I gave my ears up to the speaker. "We take Gotham from the corrupt, the rich! The oppressors who for generations have kept you down with myths of opportunity and we give it back to you, the people!" _What so now __he's__ Robin Hood?_ "Gotham is yours, none shall interfere ... do as you please! Start by storming Blackgate and free the oppressed." _There it is, __he's__ going to do exactly like she said. __He's__ letting all of them out. The criminals. Chaos. And yet everyone is cheering. No! Don't listen! __He's__ lying. This will destroy all of you!_ I wanted to tell someone, I wanted to scream. I turned to face my classmate again but he was gone. I was lost again in the sea of chaos and there was nothing I could do. "Step forward those who would serve, for an army will be raised. The powerful will be ripped from their decadent nests - and cast out into the cold that we know and endure. Courts will be convened. Spoils will be enjoyed. Blood will be shed. The police will survive as they learn to serve true justice." _Where are the police?_"This great city... it will endure. Gotham will survive." _He's__ lying. Don't listen._ I spotted an open alleyway that stood vacant. _Must get out. Must find help. _I was about to fight my way through the crowd until I remembered my poor mother being held at gunpoint. The man on the balcony glowered down at me and sneered threateningly, tightening his grip on the poor woman. Then an explosion rang through my ears, followed by the sounds of excited screams and crumbling building. _He's__ done it_. I stood still in disbelief and realized far too late that these were not petty thieves being released. These were Gotham's felons. These were rapists and murderers. I tried to make myself move, and somehow, my body obeyed. My first thought was to get up to the balcony where my mom was being held. _They __won't__ kill her if __I'm__ not here to be __threaten__ed_. I found the adjacent building. It was like pushing through mud with a twig. There were people covering every square inch of street. Someone tried to pull my jacket off. Another woman shoved me aside. A man grabbed my wrist and attempted to drag me down the street. I bit his hand out of desperation as he was fortunately forced in the other direction. Finally, the door was in direct line of site. I lunged for the handle. _Don't be locked_. Surprisingly, the door flew open and I almost fell on my face once inside. There was a long hallway and a staircase. It looked like some kind of storage unit. Outsides commotion grew softer as I made my way to the stairs. I looked up discouraged. _This is going to be a climb._

**Thanks for the reviews! I'll try to write more when I get a chance! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay so I basically suck for not writing in months, I know. But I haven't forgotten about my story... Finally, here is the new update. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Batman or DC comics related. I do not have rights to any of these characters, nor do I make profits from this writing. Thank you to all of my reviewers! Thank you: "screamingoutalovesong" and **"**Decepticon-silverstreak", "shygirl", **"**Rogue133" and my two supportive "Guests"! **

**Enjoy this chapter... "Choices"**

The stairs were old. I could feel them groan with impatience under my weight as I shakily climbed them. I didn't even know there were any buildings left in Gotham that hadn't been renovated or torn down to make way for, low income apartments, cafes, or business offices. _Yeah but nobody really wants to file paper, drink coffee, or sleep across the way from Black Gate, so it makes sense.._ I pictured Bane trying to climb these rotten stairs without bringing the entire structure down. _But then again, he might have.._I almost laughed at my wry sense of humor. Then I remembered my mother and I began to climb faster. The end of the stairs was near. There was a door at the top and it was partially open. I could feel my legs about to give out. I couldn't tell if they were tired, or if I was just terrified at what might be behind that door. Probably both. Panting, I reached out to the handle. But I immediately drew back out of hesitation. A cool breeze hit my face through the open door. _So it does lead to the balcony.. that means Moms up here...What if shes not up here? What if this was a trick or something?_ I had no idea what I was doing and what I was getting myself into. _A disastrous mess most likely.. Maybe I should turn back, just go back down the stairs and wait outside with the crowd again, just like Bane said to. Pretend like nothing happened. Maybe, he didn't even see me leave.. Maybe there's still time if I go back now. They wont actually hurt her, they need her to... to.. oh God who am I kidding? Of course they will, and it wont even phase them! They could kill me. If I disobey and go through the door.. Okay, just be rational_. The funny thing about adrenalin is that one ironically starts to ignore rationality. I reached out to the door again, but this time, I didn't have to choose. A rough hand grabbed my jacket and pulled me through. _Too late for rationality now... _

And there he was, leaning against the building wall, watching the chaos he created like it was a normal day at the zoo and he was observing the animals._ How did he get up here so fast..?_ He turned around to face me."Ah, Eden. You decided to come inside. Were the kids playing too rough out there? Did somebody push you off a swing? Bury you in the sandbox? Come here. Do you need a band aid? Some water perhaps? Your _mommy_?" I shivered at his voice. "Puh- pleas- please! Let me see her! D- don't hurt her!" The masked man chuckled slightly, a metallic ring through his mask. "It seems... Eden that you are attempting to give me orders, are you attempting to give me orders?" He approached, tall and menacing in voice and stature. "No.. no- I just, I'm sorry I-" I cowered into the man holding my arms. "Well... I suppose, this once, I'll let you. But if you command me again, there will be dire consequences." he smiled, "Bring her out!" Two men came from around the corner with a tied up, moaning, woman. She had a blindfold on, and she was gagged, with a handkerchief around her nose and mouth. Her blonde hair was matted with blood. Her blue blouse, stained. "MOM!" I struggled against my captors to no avail as they gripped me even harsher. Bane stood behind her now and put his hands on her shoulders. He ran his fingers up her neck and stroked her hair, her face. I was sickened by him touching her like that. And angry. "Please! Stop!" He seemed to enjoy how I hated him. The glee in his eyes made me gag. "Just let her go you sick bastard!" I could see that I had made a mistake. Bane leaned down and whispered into her ear, then he gripped her shoulders hard and I could hear the woman's shrieks of pain even through her gag as her waif shoulders were being crushed by his fingers. "Eden, twice, now you have disobeyed me. Do you have cruel intentions..?" The cracking sound of bone was making me dizzy. I shook my head and pleaded up at the monster with my eyes. "Oh, yes, you did. You did indeed. We all have cruel intentions, my dear. It is the flaw in humanity that disables growth in society, to think we do not. Blindness. Dangerous blindness. Denial. It can hurt the ones you love most." He let his hands slide up my mothers head and rest in her hair. His thumbs brushed her cheek. She shook violently in pain, her shoulders and arms limp. " And disobedience.. in the hands of the wrong person, can have, as I've said, dire consequences." In one swift motion, he clasped her jaw and forehead and snapped her neck.

I dropped to the ground in shock, the men letting me go. A sound pierced my ears and rattled my body. I grasped my head and closed my tear filled eyes, writhing. Then I realized, it was my own scream. Everyone in Gotham might have heard it, perhaps the chaos stopped, people, would stop and wonder what had gone so wrong that a girl would scream like that. But not _him_. He stood there, satisfied, like he had just fixed a sink. He stared at the mess I was on the ground. My body was raked with sobs now. "Look at me." He reached down and gripped my chin, hard. I refused to meet his gaze."Eden, look at my eyes, when I speak to you. Now." I did. But it was too harsh, too terrible, too disgusting. I closed my eyes to protect myself from his horror. "Very well." He dropped my face and turned to his men again. Loudly he gave orders, "Take Eden to see her family in the alleyway, I shall finish here. Keep her hands bound. If you let her out of your sight for even a moment, I will not hesitate to kill you. All of you." The men nodded in understanding, upright and obedient. Like dogs. _Blind dogs_. Then the monster turned to face me. "You may have fifteen minutes to say goodbye to your loved ones. You will see them no more after. I recommend you make it... _meaningful_. My men will take you back to your current dwelling, where you will gather any items you deem necessary. As much as you can fit into one bag. You will then be escorted home. Do you understand?" I nodded, still never meeting his eyes. Still silently crying. Still blinded by tears. My mind was a torrent of emotion and feelings, absent of almost all thought. Praying the rest of my family had met a better fate than... "Barsad, get Eden up. I trust you to be in sole protection of her while I am distracted. You are to be the only soldier allowed into her quarters without Talia, are we clear?" A younger man nodded. Then he stepped over to me and firmly, but surprisingly gently, he pulled me to my feet. "Oh and Eden, remember the consequences. Now, you two," he pointed to a couple of scrawny looking thugs. "Be sure, Miss Brooklyn is given a proper burial. I'm sure she has children somewhere who may miss her." I quickly looked up at Bane. He simply threw me a casual glance that met my eyes, as if to say, _What? I never said she was your mother._ Then he turned away. I looked at the crumpled form on the ground. The blind fold and gag were removed to reveal a blonde woman, whom I'd never even met.

_Blindness._

**Hope you enjoyed! Ill try to write soon. Happy spring everyone. :)**


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